3 Reasons Why Your Air Conditioner Is Leaking Water
Posted on: 1 August 2023
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Have you noticed that water is leaking out from your air conditioner's air handler and you're unsure why? It could be happening due to one of the following problems.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
The evaporator coil needs warm air to flow over it so that the refrigerant can remove the heat from the air. If there is a problem where warm air cannot reach the evaporator coil, it will actually freeze. This can happen due to a dirty air filter that needs to be replaced, low refrigerant in the system, or dirty evaporator coils that need to be cleaned.
Turn the air conditioning off and let any ice melt off the evaporator coils, then try to identify why the problem is happening. If the evaporator coils look particularly dirty, you may just need to clean the coils so that the warm air can come into contact with them. If the coils look clean, try changing the filter. If the filter is clean, then it may be due to a refrigerant leak.
Clogged Drain Link
The air handler has a condensation drain that allows water to leave the unit and flow into a nearby drain. If that drain becomes clogged with dirt and debris the drain pan can easily overflow. You'll need to open up the air handler to look at the condensation drain and clear it out so that the water can easily flow out of the unit. It's a relatively simple fix, but the hardest part may be opening up the air handler to reach the condensation drain.
Oversized Air Conditioner
Is the air conditioner relatively new and there's water leaking out of the unit? This could be due to an air conditioner that's too big for your home. Oversized air conditioners can cause excess condensation to form in the unit because it is using too much cold air through the system. The evaporator coils will then freeze and thaw, which leads to all that water ending up on the floor. This problem may require installing a properly sized air conditioner to fix it because it will keep happening over and over again.
Not sure why your air conditioner is leaking water, or can't figure out how to fix the problem on your own? Reach out to an AC company to do it for you. While some problems are easy to fix on your own, it is a good idea to have the entire system checked to ensure that it's fixed properly.